


Desert Rain

by garnet_dragon



Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: Cecil Is Not Described, Dancing in the Rain, Drought, Fluf, M/M, Magic and Science, One-Shot, bloodstone circles, rainstorm, workaholic Carlos
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-17
Updated: 2016-06-17
Packaged: 2018-07-14 07:35:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,127
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7160291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/garnet_dragon/pseuds/garnet_dragon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Carlos says the drought is perfectly scientific, but Cecil knows better.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Desert Rain

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by the drought we've been experiencing here in California, and further proof that I have a thing for the weather. It fills the prompt "rainstorm" for Gen Prompt Bingo.

What Night Vale really needed right about now was a good rain. It had been months since the desert had seen any hint of storm clouds, and the ground was even dryer and more cracked than usual. Carlos liked to call it a drought, but Cecil knew better. It was the work of that damned Desert Bluffs again with their evil weather machines; Cecil knew it! The right amount of chanting at bloodstone circles would be just the trick to get the weather gods back into the mood for producing rain. After all, Cecil had just put in a good hour of chanting before leaving work, so he hoped the weather gods would be appeased sometime soon. Any time before Carlos and Cecil’s next date night at the miniature golf course on Saturday would be really ideal.

Cecil nodded at the receptionist as he briskly left the relative cool of the station and stepped out into the dusty wonderland that he had always called home. The arid air hit him like a wave of nostalgia. Another successful day in community radio was over and hardly anyone had died. As he got into his car, his thoughts were directed towards Carlos and home.

Cecil was somewhat surprised to find Carlos home early as he swung their apartment door open. 

“Carlos, I’m home!” he announced to the stillness of the place that they called home.

“I’m in the kitchen, honey,” Carlos called back.

Carlos was sitting at the kitchen table, casually sipping milk as he arranged papers that he had no doubt brought back from work. He did not look up. Cecil felt the secret urge to be one of those papers as Carlos shuffled and caressed them in his graceful hands. Carlos had been more absorbed in his work than usual these days, and Cecil felt more than a twinge of jealousy.

Cecil leaned in for a peck on the cheek, but that was enough to get Carlos’ attention. He dropped the papers on the kitchen table and met Cecil’s lips with a satisfied groan. The heat of their kiss did nothing to help them cool down after a scorching day, but neither of them minded for the moment. They pulled away from each other reluctantly before they could get too carried away. Cecil fondly remembered what had happened the last time they had let themselves get carried away when Carlos had brought papers home from work and spread them out on the kitchen table. It had been a memorable evening, but there were a billion papers to pick up once everything was done.

“Hi Cecil,” Carlos said with flushed cheeks. Carlos wasn’t so perturbed that Cecil had gotten his mind off of work.

Cecil couldn’t help admiring how strikingly perfect Carlos looked in his lab coat. Even though it was Carlos’ standard work attire, it still had the power to take Cecil’s breath away.

“You’ve brought work home again,” Cecil commented.

“Yeah, it has been a really busy time for science this week,” Carlos replied. “We have been studying the drought—“

“You know what I have to say about that,” Cecil grumbled.

“And you know what I have to say about that,” Carlos replied. “This drought is perfectly scientific. We live in a desert; therefore, rain is scarce. It just happens to be a little more scarce than usual this year.”

“Well, I managed to put in some good chanting time at work, so any evil weather control that’s afoot should be taken care of any time now,” Cecil said. Carlos sighed.

“I guess we’ll just have to agree to disagree on this.”

The sun began to set noisily as Carlos shuffled through his papers and Cecil took to the minutia of flipping through the day’s mail while covertly watching Carlos at work. Every so often, Cecil would go out to check the sky for signs of rain. These moments passed in comfortable silence until Cecil couldn’t contain his anticipation any longer.

“Have you ever seen a good desert rain?” Cecil asked excitedly. Carlos looked up from his work and thought for a minute.

“No, I don’t think I have,” Carlos mused.

“Oh, you’re in for a real treat! I know you will just love it,” Cecil enthused as he rubbed his hands together. “In fact, it looks like rain right now.” He grabbed Carlos’ hand and proceeded to drag the scientist towards the half-open screen door.

As they stepped out into the heat once more, Cecil gazed up expectantly at the sky, but Carlos shook his head at the puffy white clouds scattered across the vast desert sky.

“These aren’t the right kind of clouds for rain, babe,” he commented delicately, not wanting to burst Cecil’s bubble. The look of innocent hope on his boyfriend’s face was nothing short of adorable.

“Just wait,” Cecil said breathlessly. Carlos continued to gaze up at the clouds skeptically. Just then, the sun flickered out into darkness. When the light flickered back into existence a moment later, the clouds were bright green with an unusual pattern of stripes. Carlos gazed at them in open astonishment. This was not something that science had prepared him for.

With a violent clap of thunder, rain burst from the looming clouds. Cecil took Carlos into his arms and spun him around. The long-awaited raindrops came down as refreshing and cool as a lover’s kisses. Cecil could hardly contain his excitement, and Carlos’ couldn’t help laughing good-heartedly at his boyfriend’s wide-eyed wonder. As they whirled around and around in each other’s arms, Cecil slipped on the wet gravel underfoot and the pair tumbled down to the damp ground. They lay side-by-side panting and enjoying the cooling rain.

“I thought the dancing was done before the rain started,” Carlos said with amusement as he allowed Cecil to brush soggy black locks off of his forehead.

“In Night Vale, we always save the best dancing for when the rain has finally come,” Cecil replied.  
As they lay there soaking up the blessed fall of rain, Carlos let go of any worries about possible flooding or lightning for the moment and embraced his boyfriend.

That night, the thunder roared and the lightning flashed without mercy, but Cecil stayed warm and safe underneath the blankets in his lover’s reassuring arms. Cecil couldn’t help thinking how this desert was a miracle. It could be scorching and barren year after year, but somehow, life always managed to return. In spite of the hostile climate, life was able to flourish. Life and love proved that they could blossom even in this desolate landscape, and that was something worth fighting for. Maybe that was what made each rainfall so special. Rain or shine, paradise could always be found here underneath the desert sky.


End file.
